Mr Koko speaks while briefing newsmen at the State House, Abuja on Tuesday, however said everything was being done to make the ports in the eastern corridor, including Calabar, Port Harcourt, Onne, and Warri, attractive to investors.

According to him, some members of the communities were responsible for theft of the devices with at least 25 stolen this year alone.

He added that while the absence of buoys along the channels could cause vessels to run aground, to deploy each of costs between N12 million and N20 million.

The NPA boss added that vandals are attracted to the buoys because some of them have solar panels and sensors.He said, “There is a beacon light there that flashes at night. So the first thing they do is to vandalise that sensor, and then, you just have iron that has no light, and they can just drag it off without the sensors.”

“We can monitor it if it is not disconnected. A times, we send in our boats to go round scouting for it. And to also be fair to the communities, we have had some instances where the buoys were naturally taken away by nature, they went adrift, they ended up on the shore of some communities.

“And to be fair to them, they have actually called us a couple of times to tell us that there’s a buoy that has gone adrift and it is in our community. And we thank them for that.
“We believe probably the communities do not even know the individuals that are involved in these activities. So, we are monitoring the buoys. And that’s how we got to know how many are stolen any day it’s stolen.

“Because the captains are also taking vessels in and out of the water channels, they will naturally know when they can’t find the beacons on the buoys, meaning that something is missing, and they normally report it.”


He said the Calabar and Onne Ports are now ISO-certified and are seeing substantial increase in import and export traffic.

He added that Onne was becoming the fastest-growing port in Nigeria, he said, “In terms of percentage input, Onne has done 11,800 metric tons half of this year. We are seeing that the increase in percentage is high, probably because it’s easier to do business in Onne now.

“And because we have deployed more equipment in Onne, more personnel, we have paid attention to ensure that we made the port more competitive. In terms of export also, there’s an export processing terminal within Onne itself.”

He added that West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) operating in Onne has invested more than $100m in terminal expansion, deployment of equipment and technology.


Koko further said the Authority generated N172.28 billion in revenue in the first half of 2022 with N92.9 billion transferred into Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budaatum:
We Nigerians love jeopardising ourselves then putting the blame on others.
The operation of these ports would benefit many but some selfish idiots only think of benefitting themselves!

oyebanji44:
One thing l know is that majority of the easterners are prone to crime..

lhordspy:


Easterners not Nigeria.

Bontafa:
One thing is for sure .

Buhari will leave Aso Rock in shame

lhordspy:


Easterners not Nigerians.

If i talk now, they will come right at me with different insults as usual. I dont know how some group of people can be so backward and destructive. To the extent that every infrastructure and amenities put in place to improve their lives, they will either wake up one morning to destroy it or steal it.

You see them destroying, looting everything, when nothing is there to destroy anymore. They pack their loads and run to different a well functioning Lagos state. Where they end up dragging the state with the real indigenes.

And yet, they put the blame of their self-inflicted and invoked misfortune on Tinubu, buhari and everybody except themselves.

budaatum:


This instance may be "Easterners", but the attitude is Nigerian.

All the metal rails along the Nigerian roads are stolen, along with street lights too, and it's not Easterners stealing them all.

Pierocash:
You lack common sense. A wise man is known by his ability to rationalize.

Does that man's excuse sounds sensible to you? So no security that could be employed to secure those things? The other Port in Lagos they are using,are those things left alone without been secured?

That was how they were given stupid excuses about militancy and piracy been the reason why they are not using Warri and Rivers State seaports,now it is just mere theft that is preventing them from using it. You need to refund your parents their school fees for your disgraceful low reasoning IQ.

lhordspy:


You said all those plenty things without even countering my argument sensibly or giving me a valid reasonable point.

So what is the point now? That the government has failed in only eastern port? Where we have all other port working perfectly.

Your people kept stealing and looting the entire port, and you want the government to do what? Send it military men so you can keep wailing about how they are killing you people.

Is eastern port the only port in the country? Cant you ask yourself why always eastern port in the news always for different wrong reasons.


Your people are their own evil, and the obstacle in their own success not the government. Know this and know peace !

Pierocash:
I still repeat that you lack sense. I didn't counter your valid point you said? It means you read but lack comprehension ability.

What other seaports are working aside Lagos,did they leave Lagos seaport unsecured? Oponu! So it is only in South East that stealing of things occur if left unsecured?

Your little brain should tell you those statements by the man are nothing but playing ostrich because it lacks merit and logic. But small brains like you think you can always play ethnic cards with matter of national interest .

Then tommorow,they say igbos should return to south East. How do they intend they do their business when the only major government infrastructure needed for business like the seaport and international airport is domiciled in Lagos only ,just intentional political robbery.


Mind you boy,I am not from South East,I live and do my business in Ph where they refused to develop the seaports here thereby conditioning us to always use Lagos when I can do my business here without any reason for me to make use of Lagos. And the only stupid excuse they are giving is that they are stealing buoy. Does that sound sensible to any rational mind?it only sounds sensible to fish brains like you

lhordspy:


Dear Mr man, today is a very good day. Infact i kept restraining myself into taking consideration of the continuos insults you kept hurling at me. The thing is, it seems you are frustrated at this point. Calm down. Are we fighting?


Now, you made mention of the government refusing to develop the seaport down East and providing infrastructure for its running. How can you expect a government to keep sowing a seed in an infertile land? A region where its people can just wake up one day and deicides to bring everything down because they feel marginalised and sidelined politically.
A region where its state government cant attract any local and private investors. Cant you see what the lagos state government is doing for goodness sake. ..

The man made mention of the infrastructure being stolen. Not even mentioning some other little little petty but important things that would have gone missing also. A buoy costing over 12m naira for each, and 25 been stolen this year alone. Yet you are blaming the federal government. Haba! You want them to keep replenishing it , while your people keep stealing them. Right?

Again, the issue of accessibility and security For example, if you want to take your cargo to Aba, can any articulated truck drive from onne to aba, or from onne to North? No! No accessible road. Nothing nothing.. Because the government in that region are waiting for the federal government to do everything for them. They are not creating suitable environment, no effort... Very useless and non-challant set of leaders. Yet you citizens of that region blame the Federal government instead of holding them accountable.


The issue of insecurity, before going to eastern port, your vessel has to be with extra security which comes with its own extra cost and you must have something we call war insurance.
All this things are not neccessary in other ports, because of the security assurance.
So does this encourages anybody? And You want the government to keep pouring their money into an insecurity ridden sea port where piracy and terrorism are having a filled day along the coast-line.


Who are the people perpetuating this things, are they not the indigenes? Yet you leave the issue of dealing with insecurity internally, and educating your people on the danger of the menace they keep engaging in BUT you are criticising the federal government .
My,brother, the federal government can only do its own part not everything, so far the people and the leaders there are not ready to take responsibility. They will continue to be sideline.

You as a business man, can you keep investing your money into a business with that kind of constant obstacles?

Pierocash:
stop sounding archaic ,stop been clever by half. The roads that leads to the ports are federal roads not state roads. The oil and gas they mine and drill from those regions ,who provides the securities,state?

If the federal government wants to develop those seaports,these excuses are too silly to stop them. It is a game of economic and political war against the region that feeds the nation through which they develop Lagos.

These ports where the major seaports up until after the civil war,they intentionally relegated that region just to suppress them at the detriment of the business community.

What is Lagos State government doing differently from the governors of those regions? Every infrastructure in Lagos ,and the business environment was created by the federal government,and the organized private sector . What is Lagos State government's input,is it Lagos State government that built and keep developing the seaports, and the international airports? That is the handiwork of the FG and not state government. People like you should stop giving the glory of fg input to stare government.

The places where this oils are been drilled are more dangerous than securing the southern waterways,but they are able to secure the place because they exploit the regions . But just to protect the equipment as ordinary as buoy,they are giving excuses.

I was born, bred,schooled in Lagos,so nothing anyone can tell about Lagos I do not know,my mum is a lagosian as well. Every thing about Lagos is due to the presence of business people from this region who situated their businesses over there simply because the infrastructure needed for businesses is only available in Lagos when such can be duplicated in other regions but they refused over political wickedness. And people like you are holding brief for such senseless excuse of mere theft. Are we kids?

Even the ones that succeeds in bringing in their consignment through that region ,they use custom duty ,and clearance to finish you,you pay double of what you pay in Lagos to clear your goods,just to discourage people from using those routes. Isn't that wickedness?

Same way they are giving excuses why Nigeria can never have a stable power supply that even Benin republic, Togo,Ghana and the rest have.
Come 2023, a new sheriff different from these evil rogues will be in town,and prove to you guys that all their excuses are nothing but mere incompetence and lies

lhordspy:


Firstly, your first sentence was quite deamining 'as usual' . But like i said, today is a good day. I will still allow it slide for the upteenth time, just like the previous ones.

Secondly, your last sentence was amazing. It sold you out. Now i surely now know where you are drawing your emotions from. But it will be very unfair on you for me to allow us tread that part now. I mean, going politically with this discussion now may be too hard on you. Who knows, you may finally cave in to your emotions, it may consume you and you will start cursing my mother and father, my wife, ny children and generation combine. You are stressed, brother. Take a chill pill.

Now, you said alot of things. Since the beginning. Over 300words - over 30 sentences. But is it not amazing that you never criticised the thieves even with one word?
I mean, continously and consistently you kept hammering the blame on the owner, accusing the owner of been careless and not doing enough. But what about the thieves?

I think you have no moral justification whatso ever to criticise the federal government both as the main central power or politically. You are far worse than any of them individually. A man who is encouraging the criminals to do more and cant just seems to find the right word to rebuke the terrorists or the pirates or the thief.

Sorry to say,sir. I dont envy your moral upbringing. Something seems to be wrong.

budaatum:
We Nigerians love jeopardising ourselves then putting the blame on others.

The operation of these ports would benefit many but some selfish idiots only think of benefitting themselves!

mygee33:
Small Solars panels that have little or no value.